Dispenser



Dc. 13, 1949 A. w. MONDORF DISPENSER Filed July 5, 1947 INVENTOR.

ALFRED W. MONDORF Patented Dec. 13, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEDISPENSER Alfred W. Mondorf, Pasadena, Calif.

Application July 5, 1947, Serial No. 759,016

6 Claims.

My invention relates to dispensers, more particularly, to devicessuitable for the dispensing of sliced bread.

Included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a dispenser which employs a particularly simple yeteffective and dependable novel feeding mechanism wherein a flexibleribbon functions as a support for the entire stack of the commodity,such as sliced bread, being vented, and folds upon itself as a selectedquantity of the commodity is withdrawn to function as a support for thatportion of the stack which remains within the dispenser.

Second, to provide a dispenser for bread and similar commodities whichcomprises few parts which are inexpensive of manufacture and which areeasily maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

With the above and other objects in view, reference is directed to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of my dispenser.

' Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, in plan, taken through 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view through 3-3 of Figure 2 withthe open position of thedispensing drawer shown by broken lines.

Figure 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view through 4-4 ofFigure 2.

My device includes a dispenser housing I, preferably formed of sheetmaterial and including side members 2, a back member 3, a top mem-' her4 having an opening 5, and a bottom member 6 having an opening I. Theback member may be arranged for attachment to a wall or other verticalsurface. The opening in the upper or top member 4 is bordered by aflange over which fits the lower end of a container 8 in the form of arectangular tube. The dispenser housing is open at its forward endopposite from the back member 3 and is adapted to receive a drawer 9.The drawer 9 includes a front piece I0 having a depending lip II forengagement by ones fingers to open the drawer. Attached to the frontpiece are side channel members I2, the flanges of which are directedoutwardly toward the side members 2 of the housing, as shown best inFigure 4. The drawer is without a top or bottom member, but is providedwith a back plate I3 connected between the side channels I2.

Mounted within the spaces formed between the side chambers 12 and theside members 2 are springs I4 which are suitably anchored to the 2 backmember 3 and to the front piece ID of the drawer. The springs tend tohold the drawer in its closed position.

Extending across the housing I under the drawer adjacent the front pieceIII and defining the forward margin of the opening 1 in the bottommember 6 of the housing, is a cross bar I5 having upturned ends [6 whichare attached by screws I1 to the side members 2. The screws I1 projectinto the space between the side members Z and side channels 3, and areadapted to be engaged by the back plate I3 of the drawer to limitoutward movement.

Secured to the cross bar 5 is the forward edge of a dispensing shelf I8formed of thin flexible material such as spring steel or other springmaterial. The dispensing shelf extends under the drawer I and beyond theinner end thereof. The inner portion of the dispensing shelf is loopedor rolled upwardly, as indicated by I9, and the extremity thereoffastened to the back plate I3 by screws 20. The side margins of thedispensing shelf l8 overlie the side margins of the opening land fitunderthe side channels l2, as shown in Figure 4, so that when the draweris closed the shelf I8 forms a bottom forthe drawer 9.

Operation of the dispenser is as follows:

The dispenser is primarily intended for dispensing sliced bread inrestaurants, but may, of course, be employed for other commodities whichmay be readily-stacked. When the drawer is in its inner or closedposition, as shown in Figure 3, the stack of bread rests on thedispensing shelf I8. When the drawer 9 is opened, the back plate I 3urges one or more bottom slices of the bread forwardly from under thestack so that when the drawer is fully opened the slices removed by thedrawer drop into a plate or into the hand of the operator. Duringforward movement of the drawer, the roll I9 follows behind thedispensing shelf I8 to form a support for the stack of bread remainingin the dispenser, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 3.

By pre-stressing the spring material comprising the shelf in a directionopposite from the direction of the roll I9, the upper side of the shelfwhich follows the drawer tends to remain flat, as indicated. Inaddition, the weight of the stack remaining in the dispenser also tendsto maintain this shape, and, furthermore, the width of the opening 5 maybe less than the width of the dispensing shelf so that the side marginsof the dispensing shelf will in any case be restrained by the top member4.

In order to dispense a predetermined number of objects, there isprovided a retainer plate 2| mounted on the flange forming the forwardmargin of the opening 5. The retainer plate is secured. by a screw 22which extends through a slot in the plate so that the plate may beadjusted vertically to a predetermined height.

The drawer and dispensing shelf may be readily removed for cleaning byremoving screws 11 and unfastening the springs I4. Also, the verticaltube or container 8 may be readily removed for cleaning, and may, ifdesired, be formed of transparent material.

Many other embodiments of the invention may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for stacked objects, comprising: a frame defining adrawer opening; a bottomless drawer slidable in said opening; and aflexible shelf member underlying said drawer and forming a bottomthereforwhen said-drawerls closed, said flexible shelf including alooped inner end attached to the inner endofsaid drawerwhereby as saiddrawer is open said shelf is caused to fold on itself and follow saiddrawer.

2. A dispenser for stacked objects, comprising? a frame defining adraweropening; a bottomless drawer slidable in said opening; means foralign-- ing a stack of objects above said drawer; and

a flexible member includinga shelf underlying said drawer forsupporting" said stack when said drawer is closed whereby said drawercontains a predetermined portion thereof, and a looped inner endattached to the inner end of said drawer for movement under said stackat a level above said underlying shelf thereby to retain the remainderof said stack as a portion thereof is withdrawn by said drawer.

3. Adispenser for stacked objects, comprising:

a frame defining a drawer opening and including means for receiving .astack-of objects to be vended; a bottomless drawer slidable in saidopening and adapted to extract a predetermined quantity of objects fromunder. said stack; a flexible shelf having a forward end fixed to saidframe and a rearward looped end flxed'to said 5 .4 lying said drawer,fixed at its forward end, looped at its rearward end and attached to therear of the drawer whereby the looped portion rolls forward into thespace previously occupied by the drawer as the drawer is opened; andmeans for retaining a stack of objects above said drawer for support bythe forward end of said shelf when said drawer is closed or by thelooped end of said shelf when said drawer is open.

5. A dispenser for stacked objects, comprising: a drawer open at its topand bottom sides; a flexible shelf underlying said drawer to support astack of objects located within and extending above said drawer; a frameslidably receiving said drawer and including means cooperating with theinner end of said drawer to permit a predetermined portion of said stackof objects to be withdrawn when said drawer is open; said flexible shelfincluding a looped inner end attached to the inner end of said drawerand occupying a height at least equal to the height of said drawer,whereby when said drawer is opened, said looped portion follows saiddrawer to support and retain the stack of objects remaining above saiddrawer.

6. A dispenser for stacked objects, comprising:

a frame structure defining a drawer opening at one vertical side and anopening for stacked objects at its upper side; a shelf secured to saidframe structure at the lower margin of said drawer opening and extendingunder said stack of objects; a bottomless drawer slidable in said draweropening over said shelf and having a rear wall adapted to withdraw apredetermined number of objects from said stack when said drawer isopened; and means continuing from said shelf, looped upon itself andattached to the rear wall of said drawer to form a second shelf spacedto support the portion of the stack remaining as said drawer is opened.

ALFRED W. MONDORF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the -file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

